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Browsing by tag: fig

Cra-yon Art Life, Snif Natural Talent & Maison Millais New York Nostalgia ~ short fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 12 December 2024 4 Comments

Way back in January 2021, Kevin wrote that 2020 had been the year of overpriced, overhyped scents: “Never have I smelled so many $250, $350, $450 perfumes that reminded me of $10 scented candles.” Based on various online “gift guides” that have scrolled past my eyes lately, I can’t say that late 2024 is looking any different. I’m less and less impressed by arbitrarily high prices. Here at NST we’ve been saying “under $100 is the new ‘free'” since 2009; in that spirit, here are three fragrances I’ve encountered over the past year or so that live up to their descriptions, feel accessible to scent-curious shoppers and sell for less than $100 for a full-sized bottle. 

First: I initially came across the Cra-yon fragrance line at the Liberty department store in London and made a mental note to find out more later. Cray-on started showing up in the United States soon after that trip, and I picked up a bottle of Art Life at a perfume swap event in New York. (Swap meet-ups are the Gen Z version of the early-2000s message-board swaps!) Cra-yon was “founded  by Christine and Niclas Lydeen, French/Swedish fragrance pioneers” and comes across as a welcoming, upbeat brand that doesn’t take its own cool-kid vibes too seriously…

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Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Eau Cerise, Figue Interdite & Bakul Medjool ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 24 August 2018 5 Comments

Touching the forbidden is always alluring as well; fascinating and wonderfully naughty. I like this. As I began to research what exactly is meant by forbidden fruits I was surprised and delighted to find out that there are many fruits on the list for various reasons…

So says Dawn Spencer Hurwitz in reference to her latest release, the initial trio in a new series called Les Fruits Défendus (Forbidden Fruits), three all-natural perfumes inspired by the cherry, the fig, and the date. Late summer feels like the perfect moment for these scents. My husband and I grow cherries and figs in our small urban garden, so I’m very tuned-in to their seasonal growth and sensory appeal these days. (We also like to buy dates at local Middle Eastern groceries.)

While I’ve been enjoying all three of these Forbidden Fruits, Eau Cerise is my favorite…

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2 for Tuesday: Tauerville Tuberose Flash & Vilhelm Parfumerie Purple Fig

Posted by Robin on 22 November 2016 24 Comments

Brief reviews of two recent-ish indie / niche fragrances: Tauerville Tuberose Flash and Vilhelm Parfumerie Purple Fig.

If you’ve smelled anything recently that we should all know about, do add your own brief review in the comments!

Tauerville Tuberose Flash

Tauerville Tuberose Flash

When I reviewed Tauer’s Sotto La Luna Tuberose, I said “it smells to me like tuberose right away, and it goes on smelling like tuberose straight through, and more so than usual, a blow-by-blow of the proceedings seems pointless”. I could say the same of Tuberose Flash…

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Fig Leaf Syrup (or Jelly) ~ recipe

Posted by Kevin on 21 September 2016 7 Comments

fig leaves 1

I enjoy making fig jam in late summer (especially rich Mission Fig jam), but fruit isn’t the only culinary ingredient a fig tree yields — fig leaves make an unusual syrup that’s perfect for glazing savory and sweet foods (it’s a nice alternative to maple syrup for pancakes, too). My recipe below presents you with two options: liquid fig leaf syrup or fig leaf jelly. If you want jelly, all you need to do is set the syrup with pectin in step no. 6 below and use jars instead of bottles…

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Two times two plus one ~ quick perfume reviews

Posted by Robin on 31 March 2015 32 Comments

Quick reviews of two fragrances from Lush (Kerbside Violet and All Good Things), two from Imaginary Authors (The Soft Lawn and Yesterday Haze), and one from Memo (Inlé).

Lush Kerbside Violet

Lush Kerbside Violet solid perfume

A lovely gentle violet with jasmine and ylang. It’s sweetish but not too sweet, and nothing like so strong and sugared as the brand’s Tuca Tuca…

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